Autumn Radtke was found on the morning of February 26 after
Police received an emergency call from an apartment building. She
was pronounced dead at the scene. A preliminary police
investigation has ruled out foul play, but neighbors told police
they suspected Radtke jumped from an apartment.

First Meta Ltd. issued a statement on its website, saying they
were ‘shocked and saddened’ by the news and gave their deepest
condolences to Radtke’s family.

"The First Meta team is shocked and saddened by the tragic
loss of our friend and CEO Autumn Radtke. Our deepest condolences
go out to her family, friends and loved ones. Autumn was an
inspiration to all of us and she will be sorely missed,” the
statement said.

The death of the 28-year old followed a tumultuous week for the
virtual currency. Mt.Gox, once bitcoin’s largest online exchange
filed for bankruptcy on February 28 after $63 million
worth of bitcoin went missing. The headline-grabbing currency has
been shrouded in controversy since.

Prices fell sharply, and the day Mt.Gox closed, the
cryptocurrency was listed at $565, less than half its value in
November.

Neighbor and fellow bitcoin start-up entrepreneur Steve
Beauregard lived in the same residential complex as Radtke and
said her death wasn’t related to her business. Beauregard is the
CEO and founder of GoCoin, a bitcoin processer started in April
2013.

"This wasn't a bitcoin-related death. She had other things
going on in her life. Collectively, there were a lot of small
factors. ... It appears she picked a permanent solution to a lot
of short term problems," Beauregard told Reuters.

First Meta is an online exchange for virtual currencies and real
money, and is funded by Silicon Valley incubator Plug and Play.

Scott Robinson, an employee at Plug and Play, described Radtke as
ambitious, "She was a go-getter, she always worked very hard
... she stuck out as one of the only women representing
bitcoin."

Like many governments, Singapore doesn’t recognize the legitimacy
of the bitcoin currency, and has said they are not legal tender
and users should know the risks.

Singapore has long attracted a large expatriate community because
of the special tax exemptions it can offer as an independent
state and has favorable conditions for start-ups.

Radtke moved from California to Singapore in 2012, where
previously she worked at a video game currency start-up company.
According to her LinkedIn professional profile, she held
positions at tech start ups Xfire and Geodelic Systems.